Statement of faith

THE BIBLE

We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God; that the sixty-six books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments were verbally inspired by the Spirit of God and therefore entirely free from error; that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and the true basis of Christian union. (2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17)

HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, Who convicts of sin, of righteousness, and judgment; Who regenerates, sanctifies, illuminates and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. (Acts 5:3, 4; Jn. 16:8-13; Ti. 3:5; Rom. 15:16; Jn. 14:16-17)

SATAN

We believe that Satan exists as an evil personality, the originator of sin, the arch-enemy of God and man. (Is. 14:12-14; Gen. 3:1-15; Eph. 2:2)

MAN

We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God. That he sinned, becoming guilty before God, resulting in total depravity, thereby incurring physical and spiritual death. (Gen. 1:27; 3:1-6; Rom. 5:12-19; 6:23)

SALVATION

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly by grace (Eph. 2:8) by faith (Eph. 2:8; Acts 20:21) and not of works (Eph. 2:9). That this salvation is instantaneous and not a process (2 Cor. 5:17; Jn. 5:24; Acts 9:1-6); that in salvation the sinner is made a partaker of the Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4) and receives eternal life as the gift of God (Rom. 6:23); that all who are saved by faith in Christ are kept by the power of God unto eternal salvation and shall never perish (1 Pet. 1:5; Jn. 10:28-30); and that the proper evidences of salvation appear in fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life (Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Tim. 6:11; Ti. 2:11-12; 3:8, 14).

FUTURE THINGS

We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust; in the eternal blessedness of the redeemed and in the judgment and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked. (1 Th. 4:16-17; Rev. 1:7; 21:1-5; 20:10-15)

THE LOCAL CHURCH

We believe that the local church is a company of believers, who have been obedient to the Lord in baptism by immersion, who have been called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances. (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Cor. 1:2; 12:4, 8-11; Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1-13)

ORDINANCES

We believe that there are only two ordinances for the Church regularly observed in the New Testament in the following order: A. Baptism which is the immersion of the believer in water, whereby he obeys Christ's Command and sets forth his identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Acts 8:36-39; Mt. 28:19; Rom. 6:1-6). B. The Lord's Supper which is the memorial wherein the believer partakes of the two elements, bread and wine, which symbolize the Lord's body and shed blood, proclaiming His death until He comes. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

THE LORD'S DAY

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and that, in a special sense, it is the divinely appointed day for worship and spiritual exercise. (Mt. 28:1-6; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2)

MARRIAGE

We believe that marriage is a divinely created institution. It is the foundation of the family, the church, and the country.

A. We believe that God's intention for marriage is repeatedly established in both the Old and New Testaments of Scripture.

The purpose of partnership (Gen. 2:18)

The purpose of parenthood (Gen.1:28; Ps. 127:3-5)

The purpose of pleasure (Pr. 5:15-20; Heb. 13:4)

The purpose of preventing fornication (1 Cor. 7:2-5)

The purpose of picturing the church (Eph. 5:31-33)

B. We believe that God ordained marriage as a voluntary union of one man and one woman for life (Gen. 2:22-24; Matt. 19:5-6; Eph. 5:31).

C. We believe that sexual intimacy is legitimate only within the bounds of marriage (Pr. 6:32; Col. 3:5-6; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 2:11).

D. We believe that Christian marriage is not simply a contract between a man and woman, but is a covenant ratified in the presence of God (Pr. 2:16-17; Mal.2:14; Matt. 19:4-6).

E. We believe that a healthy marriage is the best foundation for families and raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Pr. 1:8-9; 6:20-23).